COMMENT: This is not how Comrades behave

WE welcome the decision taken by the Zanu-PF leadership to call off provincial elections that were set for this Saturday and the convening of an urgent, extra-ordinary Politburo meeting to stop the circus that saw some senior party officials approach issues of intra-party democracy with open mouths and shut minds, itself the bane of the MDC-T. On Saturday, Zanu-PF needs to look at itself in the mirror, warts and all. The party must act on the warts that threatened to make it politically ugly.

The self-deprecating habit of pretending all is well when the house is on fire must be dropped like a plague, for fire once teased snarls all the way to ash.

The lessons of the near-miss of Election 2008 must endure where some Zanu-PF leaders kicked the ball into the bush with gusto, nearly sending the revolution off kilter. The result was four years of a dysfunctional coalition that gave Westerners a listening post even in Cabinet.

We believe it is the ghost of 2008 that is haunting Zanu-PF. We are convinced the words left unsaid, work left undone then is haunting the party now.

That aside, we take this opportunity to remind all and sundry within Zanu-PF that we hold no brief for anyone; aspiring or perspiring; for the party’s leadership.

To us journalism is as British writer George Orwell put it, writing what someone does not want written with everything else qualifying for public relations.

There are some in Zanu-PF who didn’t want the chaos that ravaged provincial elections in the Midlands, Manicaland and Mashonaland Central exposed.

They wanted the allegations of rigging and irregularities, the shambolic party registers and disenfranchisement of hundreds of party supporters to be hidden behind mouth washed platitudes.

But we are not in the business of public relations. Our duty is to educate, inform and entertain our readers. To us the national interest is supreme and our publics are our readers and advertisers.

We defer to our National Flag, the national and public interest. We back Zanu-PF as long as it upholds the ideals that inspired its formation. The ideals that drove thousands of young Zimbabweans to take up arms against the settler regime. The ideals that to this day attract millions to the revolutionary party.

Gone are the days, if ever they were there, of being used by dwarfish politicians in giant robes. Our mandate is to tell the truth and not to assuage the egos of insecure politicians.

While the privately owned tabloids can afford to entertain the conspiracy theories for their selfish interests, we are a paper of record. We owe it to our readers and advertisers to keep the record straight.

We know President Mugabe as the final authority in Zanu-PF. When he speaks he gives us the party’s official position. We do not make announcements, we report on them. When the President, through his spokesperson, speaks we have a duty to report that no matter how unpalatable it may be to his subordinates.

While there is a clear distinction between the party and Government, it so happens the leader of the party, it’s First Secretary and President and the Head of State and Government are one person. What is more, he has a spokesperson who we all know and who should never be confused with the party spokesperson.

It is up to the President to choose who he wants to convey his message. That is not our business. It becomes our business when people who should know better expect us to confuse the medium and the message.

As we report elsewhere in this issue, there are matters which are outside even the province of the national spokesperson. A case in point being our lead story today where the national chairman, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo in his capacity as a member of the Presidium, had to announce the cancellation of provincial elections and convening of a special Politburo meeting this Saturday.

As such the fact that Presidential spokesman George Charamba announced the President’s position, and not the national spokesman is neither here nor there. The medium is not the message (mutumwa haana mbonje). It is the President who spoke.

To this end we take exception to utterances that were attributed to Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa, and Cde Rugare Gumbo who both tried to draw us into the Zanu-PF provincial poll fiasco.

We are not in the business of sparring with politicians, our province are news values. We are a watchdog not a lapdog, and where need be the teeth come out.

Related Posts

Fulfil your promises comrades. I’m sorry to say you have failed Zimbabweans big time. Hapana kana chiri kumbofamba. Instead we are worse off. Look at our health system!! We are not intersted in your party bickerings

Jotham

You were given the mandate , Please concentrate on the main issues. The party should come down on those that are bent on frustrating the people’s wishes for personal gains.

gerro

Like it is …zvazviri

shungudzemwoyo

wakandirwa bhonzo … don’t be too happy. Unless this article was penned by a respected or senior Zanu PF member it is suspect in it’s intent

Sgibo

who contributed to this remarkable letter, he deserves the best farm!!

punungwe

Things are getting ugly!!!! What does the Herald want inside the Zanu-PF fight for succession! Nhaka kumakwicho!

Mimi

It was high time President Mugabe put a stop to this circus within ZANU-PF circles that was threatening to tear ZANU-PF at its core. Reports of these divisions and infighting have been rearing their ugly head eversince but some inside ZANU-PF (Big Chefs) were covering the issues under the carpet. President Mugabe should realize that it is easier for people to destroy the party from within and this should not be allowed, lest ZANU-PF lets its enemies take advantage of this situation. It is a relief that the President has now begun to stamp his authority for the sake of the Party. ICHO!

Madyira weZaka

These are the tricks your handlers were accused of. Do you honestly think you can continue to divide the people this way Caesar? You and your principals in the information ministry are being insubordinate and trying to confuse cadres. You cannot insist on saying the President has said this and that when that fact is being contested and in the same vein show us three stalwarts of the Mujuru faction conspiring to stop the elections. The dummy they sold you and you unwittingly reported to us is that there are other people who matter in the Politburo, whether the President is there or not.

Dear cdes your words after the elections were,”The monster called the inclusive govt is gone”,now ZANU PF can fully implemend its policies,policies that are pple driven,you said the welfare of the workers would be priority number one.Now you can,t even unveil your budget.farming season is now underway and the ministry of agric still doesn,t have a budget, so how can they assist farmers?You are more worried about party issues rather than national issues.We should have known you can,t teach an old dog new tricks.Time is running out cdes.

Negomo Farai Makope

Musape muvengi mukanha nokuti iwe neni tine basa

MANGWENDE WE CHINHOYI

I am one person who agrees with you Negomo. Listen to what they are saying from their corner.

Progressive Zimbabwean

The greatest mischief is when youngsters call elders mischief makers. The greatest mischief is when youngsters abuse the public media to fight personal wars and undress elders in full public glare. Mischief indeed it is when Jonathan Moyo after being appointed the media minister uses that window to throw stones at perceived enemies. He is so cunning as to try and draw party elders into a fight. He has no respect for the party president whom he purports to defend. He has personally moved into the newsroom to abuse authority to draw two very senior members of the party into a fight. That’s an abomination! Such mischief makers must be stopped before they do more harm to the party. We do not take kindly to the mischief that Moyo is brewing. It is obvious that if the president had an issue and indeed did tell Charamba that information should have been channeled through the party of which Cde. Gumbo is the spokesperson. In fact I challenge the two mischief makers who have no business in the newsroom to publish the aforesaid comments if they are really worth their salt.

kutototo

Tsvee kufulfiller the election promises, take take ne Internal elections which do not bring food on the table, what we want maComrades is fulfillment of the election promises especially salary increase for civil servants before the end of the year like you promised and now that Biti aisunga mari akaenda its time for us to compensate for the lost years during the inclusive government.

Cde Nyikayedu

We now have a serious problem which must be nipped in the bud before it catapults our party into disintegration. Cde George Charamba and his friend Cde Jonathan Moyo are misbehaving using the Herald and the ZBC to articulate their personal positions at the expense of other members of the party and that cannot be allowed to happen beyond today. Where shall we hear Cde Rugare Gumbo’s position? Surely are these two not aware of the negative impact their escapades into journalism is causing to our party. They must not be allowed to take the Herald and the ZBC as their personal fiefdom. By the way we are aware of the reasons why there is a shake up at ZBC. We are indeed aware of the sour relationship that exists between Cde Muchechetere and Cde Jonathan Moyo.

Zimbabwe United

There are certain public posts that one cannot and should not occupy unleess and until one is perceived to be politically or ideologically correct.

matt

Makabirira maelections imi, hamuna kana direction!

the eagle

I didn’t get the head and tail of this story. What on earth are you talking about ***?

tiripi

AND it begins people.

mwanawevhu

Just report about the irregularities and not waste time telling Mr Mugabe that this article was not meant to insult him.

Mutasa

That’s a good piece by George Charamba. Dont lie to us that its an editorial, BECAUSE ITS NOT…

Zimbabwe United

And who authors editorials in general and expressing whose values?

Jose

What is going on? Life seemed to be better with GNU, companies are closing, Houses are being demolished, no water, the current govenment is failing to produce a budget, we have become an embarassment. Is this bhora mughedhi, if so I would rather have bhora musango.

nyams t

In deed,the powers be must weed out this debilitating and deceitful tendency once and for all before it becomes a syndrome

Progressive Zimbabwean

The hard and blunt truth of the matter is that as long as some views are not published simply because they are at variance with either Jonathan Moyo or Charamba’s view then we have a serious problem and we should be afraid, very afraid of the intention of those that are in charge of the media. An unfortunate situation indeed.

Zimbabwe United

How does one get to know of the existence of views that have not been published?

How can l know of the existence of your baby who was never born?

kenny

who is writing this ..***.To what extent can the state exercise freedom in any case?.Are the cancelling of election as a result of this paper?Someone seems to be celebrating!

G Tinofara

Yes the inclusive animal is gone and we are making headway cant people see that we are effecting our policies.Are we not critisicing Tsvangirai?Demoliations have started what more do you want kkkk

Tony Blair

Brilliant. Ndi Caesar Zvayi chete uyu!

Kajamba

Tongai tione.

MkanyaGP

And who are you……?

muchaka

Please change the minister of information if Zanupf is to survive

chaili ngoma

Why not hire Nikuv and sort this mess

Jason Bourne

I think you meant why not re-hire Nikuv?

chaili ngoma

Since there is freedom of association If i chose to be alligned to Kisinot or Ijipiti Dzinemunhenzwva nobody should label me a sellout. I notice the Herald has no apologies to make forbeing sypmhathetic to th zpf coz

s shumba

And what does the other faction say…….?

Ngoni

It seems like its an article written by Jonathan Moyo.

Zimbabwe United

And so what?

MANGWENDE WE CHINHOYI

While every home has its unique problems, it is the quality of solutions which determines the future of the same home. Yes there may be internal problems but I say let us solve our problems with national and party interests at heart. We say pamberi nekubatana and what does that mean on the ground. Please let our party carry Zimbabwe ahead while selfish interests or unnecessary antagonism should be secondary. Again do not give your enemy any cleavage to act upon.

Mudhara

Tsvangirai is causing all these problems in ZANU PF! dai asiriye ma elections aitwa zvakanaka,kkkkkkkkkkkk,aya,lies always catch up with the peddler! zvakaoma!

Mahumbwe

Zanu PF leaders have always had open mouths and shut minds which explains why most people have never really enjoyed the fruits of independence we all expected since we got rid of the illegal and racist Smith regime. Please do not blame “sanctions” as these only started after the year 2000. Neither should you talk about land redistribution because you do not need to be a genius to redistribute land. And finally, Herald staff start being professional and start publishing my comments which can only be offensive to haters of freedom of speech.

Zimbabwe United

“that gave Westerners a listening post even in Cabinet.”

tawanda

ya. Its a mouthful

chiendambuya

I see MCD-T hand in this …

Gerald

Ed. As far as I am concerned it is a fair, very fair comment. Don’t care, don’t give a hoot whomsoever is said to have authored it. The Herald has not in any way created the chaos rocking the party elections. Good brave editorial Monya!